


Cymophilia

by Turandot (LostOzian)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Blowjobs and Cunnilingus, Fluid Sexuality, Foursome - F/F/M/M, Having sex because you're pining too hard, Masturbation, Multi, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Porn with Feelings, So much polyamory, Tender Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27513973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostOzian/pseuds/Turandot
Summary: What do you do when the man you're in love with has devoted himself to being a Phantom Thief above all romance?You have sex with all the other people in love with him. As stress relief.Yeah, it's stress relief.
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Everyone, Polythieves
Comments: 7
Kudos: 69





	Cymophilia

**Author's Note:**

> Cymophilia: the abnormal enjoyment of waves, sea swells, deep water, and tsunamis.

“Let me get this straight,” Makoto started. “Not only do the Phantom Thieves of Hearts enter the collective unconscious of humanity to steal hearts and reform criminals, but they also… date each other?”  
  
“We aren’t dating,” Yusuke corrected. “It’s a shared carnal enjoyment.”  
  
Makoto winced at that, but her face flushed all the darker. This had to be one of the strangest conversations to hold in a diner in broad daylight. Not to mention, gathering as Phantom Thieves without their leader made Makoto feel like she was doing something wrong. “That’s what I meant, I just—this is so much to take in.”  
  
“It isn’t any weirder than the Metaverse,” Ann started. “And it’s really good stress relief!”  
  
“Aren’t there better ways for stress relief?”  
  
Ryuji snickered at that. “Maybe they are, but this one is definitely the most fun. I mean, we’re fine as hell.”  
  
Ann shot him a glare. “ _Some_ of us are fine as hell.”  
  
“Oh, you’re gonna start complaining _now?_ ”  
  
Makoto shook her head at the bickering and helplessly turned to Yusuke. “So, was this really just stress relief?”  
  
“Stress of a certain kind,” Yusuke described. “Shortly after my introduction to the Phantom Thieves and after a chance to deepen my relationship with Akira, I believe I developed a sort of infatuation with him. This shared relationship helps manage those feelings.”  
  
“Same as us two, really,” Ann added. “It’s really hard to not get swept up in that roguish charm. It’s like he’s a hero who showed up right when I needed him most.”  
  
“For real. I never thought of guys that way before—or I mean, at least I didn’t think I did? But we were in Kamoshida’s dungeon, and I thought I was gonna die, and then he caught on fire, and suddenly he was this gentleman thief who kicked every single ass, and then looked at me like I was someone who mattered…”  
  
Ryuji’s cheeks colored, so he trailed off and slammed back his soft drink. Ann rolled her eyes.  
  
“Has anyone actually told Akira about their feelings?” Makoto asked. “Surely it’s healthier to express yourselves, and if one of you wins him as your boyfriend, the others will… gracefully concede?”  
  
“I made a few attempts to express my feelings,” Yusuke said. “But Akira seemed disinterested.”  
  
“He’s been cold to you?”  
  
“Quite the contrary. I have never felt so seen or heard as when I spend time with Akira, and I have never questioned whether I have his full attention when we are together. But when I made allusions to romantic poetry to describe our bond, he brushed it off.”  
  
“I tried something too! I told him I’d go on a date with him to thank him, like for his help trying to strengthen my heart, or when he’s gone to modeling shoots to support me. He said that was a funny joke and shook his head.”  
  
Makoto kind of glanced at Ryuji, wondering if he had a story like his friends, but he looked down, kind of embarrassed. “I mean, it’s tough? He’s always so kind about everything, and if you tell him that you need his help, he’ll do everything he can to make it better. It’d be easier to just get over him, but he’s just too cool. So the best thing to do is… bang it out together.”  
  
Ann groaned. “I cannot _believe_ I’ve had sex with you.”  
  
“What?!”  
  
“I entrusted my virginity to you, Ryuji. You should treat the matter with more delicacy.”  
  
“Aw, shut up! The only reason you didn’t get mine is cuz Ann and me banged first!”  
  
Makoto couldn’t remember being more embarrassed in her life. Not even the sexual education talk that Sae had given her—stone-faced and excruciatingly frank—had been this uncomfortable. “So why exactly am I here?”  
  
“Sorry if we’re being presumptuous with this,” Ann said. “But we’ve fought together for a few weeks now, and we can kind of see the signs? There’s a chance you’re falling for Akira, too.”  
  
Makoto’s cheeks burned to hear it, but she couldn’t deny that Ann was on the right track. His tousled hair, his cool attitude, his clever smirks, his power in battle… Makoto had no idea what to do about all those emotions. Ann’s suggestion that she was falling in love made the most sense of anything Makoto had considered.  
  
“I think… if he falls in love with you back, more power to you,” Ryuji added. “That’d make it clear to the rest of us what Akira was lookin’ for this whole time, at least. And you’ve saved our asses tons of times, so I mean—you’d deserve him.”  
  
“We have no idea if Akira even has homosexual attractions,” Yusuke mused. Ryuji sighed and Ann frowned sadly.  
  
If she was pressed later, Makoto would say it was that reaction that made her agree. These were three people who all felt attraction to the same guy who changed—no, saved—their lives, and as much as they loved Akira, they loved each other too. She’d never met people who so honestly wanted the same thing _and_ would be happy to see any of the others get it.  
  
So Makoto opened her mouth and said: “I’m sorry, I can’t be a part of this.”  
  
But four days later, when she had a chance to consider all of the angles, and after Akira gave her a bottle of elegant, fresh-scented perfume and asked her, so suave and quiet, if she liked it… Makoto texted the secret leader-less group chat.  
  
_I’m in._

* * *

It was uncomfortable and exciting and one of the most exhilarating things to happen in Makoto’s life, outside of the awakening of her Persona. Being kissed was new. And so was being touched. And being naked. And being…  
  
Being.  
  
Well, being happy.  
  
At first, she had gravitated toward Ann. Makoto had never thought of herself as someone who liked girls, but this was a strange situation, and Ann felt safe, in an inscrutable way. Ann knew what was going on, what to expect, what she wanted. Her nails sent tingles across Makoto’s skin as she played with her short hair, and every touch made Makoto more and more certain this was the right choice.  
  
When the pile of discarded clothes started to grow, Makoto reached for Yusuke next. She could still barely get the words past her prudish teeth: “touch me, kiss me,” but once she spoke what she wanted, Yusuke obliged without any self-consciousness. It felt like tossing coins into a wishing well, depth and trust and hope and excitement when the wish came true. Watching him come undone with desire the longer they kissed made her more and more sure she belonged there.  
  
And when the clothes came off and condoms came on—god, the _condoms_ , Sis would kill her if she found out—she found herself facing Ryuji. And he was eager, excited to share, but quick to respond if Makoto said “no” or “not like that.” Makoto nearly lost her nerve then, but Ryuji just held her face and told her, “Hey, any way you want it. Anything. I’m down.” And once she figured out how she wanted it, she wanted so _much_ , and Ryuji didn’t once let her down. She could feel pressure and heat, she tasted salt on her lips, she heard Ann and Yusuke together, and she twisted, and she pushed herself harder, faster—  
  
The moment of her first orgasm, she wished someone else was holding her hands and whispering her name to her. She may have even screamed the name of that someone else.  
  
In the afterglow, tucked in Ann’s bed, Makoto tried to face the wall and hide. These were her friends, who she had just had sex with, and she had probably made them feel completely inadequate. They had tried to be so nice to her and she couldn’t keep her mind off Akira…  
  
Ann touched the damp and chilly base of a glass of water against Makoto’s face, making her squeak. “So,” Ann said, grinning. “Akira, huh?”  
  
“I’m so sorry about that,” Makoto blurted in a rush. “And Ryuji, I’m especially sorry to you, I know you were doing everything right, and you tried to make me comfortable—”  
  
“Don’t worry about it!” Ryuji said. “Y’know the part that got me most into it was when you were giving out orders. Kind of like _he_ would.”  
  
Makoto blinked, the relief of forgiveness not exactly chasing away her guilt. “This probably isn’t healthy for us, in the long term. To use each other as sexual outlets while we all want the same person.”  
  
“We’ll worry about the long term later!” Ann waved the concern away. “Yusuke, actually _drink_ your water, don’t stare at it.”  
  
Yusuke had his glass in his hands, examining it with the same pensive look Makoto had seen in movies when upper-class people contemplated wine glasses. “You know, yesterday, Akira agreed to help me find inspiration in a church. When I was having trouble deciding how he should model, he suggested that he remove his clothing.”  
  
“DUDE!” Ryuji nearly catapulted forward. “Did he?! Did he strip for you!? _Is he jacked_?!”  
  
“He remained clothed because we were in a place of worship. But the fantasy has returned to me in my dreams repeatedly...”  
  
“Can you paint it? Please?” Ann whined, but at least she seemed aware she was asking for something ridiculous. “I don’t wanna die to weird horses-with-hands shadows without at least seeing Akira shirtless. Or a painting of Akira shirtless, if he won’t strip.”  
  
Makoto had nothing else to say, but she sipped her water and leaned against Ann’s shoulder, settling comfortably into their Akira-centric pillow talk.

* * *

“To start, you’ll need to be wearing fewer clothes,” Ann instructed.  
  
“Do I have to take my glasses off too?” Futaba asked.  
  
“Only if you want to.”  
  
“And when you say fewer, you mean…”  
  
“Shirt or shorts! You just need to be wearing less to start.”  
  
Futaba swallowed the lump in her throat and started with her jacket. Her eyebrows had shot through the ceiling when the clones she’d made of each of the Thieves’ phones revealed that everyone except Akira had a text chain dedicated to setting up sex parties. Impulsively, she’d texted Ann about it, and then immediately received her own invitation.  
  
She lived on the internet and knew a thing or two, but seeing it in person was another matter. And when Ann had asked questions about her experience levels, Futaba had to admit she was a total level one.  
  
“Have you ever, like, touched yourself?” Ann had asked. And Futaba shook her head. “Wow. Okay, how about we sit on the sidelines together?”

“Why together? Shouldn’t this be private?”  
  
Ann had laughed at that. “You already know our secrets and we know each other’s. There’s basically nothing left that’s private. But it’s probably best if you don’t jump into this too fast. If I’m on the side with you, then you’ll know it’s okay to watch.”  
  
Things sounded so _easy,_ when Ann said them. Ann had a lounge chair for herself and a bean bag for Futaba, soft sheets spread out on them so sticky skin didn’t get glued to the upholstery. Ann already had all her clothes off anyway, happily watching Ryuji, Makoto and Inari—um, Yusuke—get there. She’d never be able to call him ‘Inari’ with a straight face if she couldn’t separate his normal self from his naked one.  
  
Her fingers trembled while she peeled her shirt off, leaving a bralette, and then stepped out of her shorts. Okay. She could do this. Well, maybe she couldn't, but she'd never forgive herself if she chickened out.  
  
Makoto looked at home between the two boys. Ryuji’s hands seemed hungry, trailing up and down her body and spending as much time with her biceps as her breasts. Yusuke tilted her face up to kiss her while her hands gripped his hips.  
  
Futaba’s face felt hot, and her lower stomach got kind of churn-y. She’d felt that way before, sometimes when she found herself in the saucier sides of the internet, and sometimes just randomly. She usually felt better after she stayed up super late, burned through her energy, and slept for a day or two. But _apparently_ that was what being horny felt like.  
  
_Can I really do this?_  
  
She glanced over at Ann, reclined back like a sunbather with her hands touching her chest, gaze fixed on her friends. It wasn’t fair Ann had so much to play with and Futaba had nothing! But she fought back against the pout and raised her own hands up, pressing her flat palms against her own boobs.   
  
That… was kind of nice? But mostly just the same satisfaction that came from playing with stress balls or water balloons. And she could do that without watching Makoto and Yusuke start ganging up on Ryuji, Makoto leaning down to swallow Ryuji’s dick into her mouth while Yusuke held his cock at Ryuji’s lips to be sucked in turn. That pressure-feeling got more intense.  
  
“Mmm—”  
  
The noise made Futaba look to Ann again. She had one of her nipples pinched just between two fingers, pulling a little bit. Okay, did that actually feel good? Futaba popped her bra off and gave it her best shot.  
  
_Turnedoutitfeltgreatohgod._ How had she done puberty without realizing that nipples felt great?!  
  
She kept her fingers busy with her tits, starting and stopping as she tried to dial in on an intensity she liked the most. Ryuji couldn’t keep quiet, even with his mouth stuffed full of Yusuke’s cock, and by his groans, he was having the time of his life. Yusuke’s hand rested on Ryuji’s head for a moment, before he abandoned that entirely and grabbed a fistful of his own hair. Futaba watched his Adam’s apple slide as he swallowed hard. Makoto reached her own hands between her legs while she sucked Ryuji.  
  
Oh, that was an idea. Futaba spread her own legs apart and slipped a finger under her underwear, between her legs. Wait, why was it damp?! Was it sweat!? She hadn’t peed! But it was… sticky, and slick, and… she had to wait a second for her knowledge to catch up with her sensation. This was normal. And it felt just as fun as it did weird.  
  
She let her fingers slip between the folds of her pussy, feeling what she liked and didn’t, while the pornographic show continued to play. Yusuke barely lasted, the nerd. Ryuji’s blowjob pulled a strangled shout out of him, and the runner leaned back from the artist. Cum spilled over his chin and onto his chest. Yusuke fell back, dazed worse than a Dizzy effect, and even though Ryuji put his hand on Makoto’s head, she grabbed his wrist and moved it aside.  
  
“Hang on,” she gasped, pulling up. “I need—”  
  
“Right,” Ryuji tried. His voice sounded kind of wrecked, worse than Makoto’s. “I… I think I can—”  
  
It didn’t matter what Ryuji thought-he-could because Ann decided sitting on the sidelines wasn’t enough anymore. She stood from her chair and crossed the room, lifting Makoto’s shoulders and bringing her up to the bed. With Makoto laid out, Ann’s face disappeared between her legs, and Makoto whimpered happily.  
  
_Wow, these guys are good._ Porn never looked like this.  
  
Ryuji seemed to have no idea what to do now, but Yusuke helped him out, getting one of the condoms they had on hand and passing it to the other boy. He fumbled with it for a second before he sheathed himself in it. Then he shifted closer to Ann, her ass in the air as she ate Makoto out.  
  
“Hey, is this cool?” Ryuji checked  
  
Ann stuck a thumb up.  
  
Futaba cackled, and then shut herself up promptly. Pretty much everyone but Ann looked at her, but no one said anything. Yusuke dragged his lanky form off of the bed and into Ann’s vacated chair, giving the rest of them space to spread out their debauchery.  
  
“Is this enjoyable for you?” Yusuke asked her.  
  
“I—I don’t—Um, silence!” she hissed. She could feel the answer was ‘yes’ but admitting it outright, and to _Inari_ , felt impossible.  
  
“No matter.” He dropped the subject and turned his attention back to the others, so fully that Futaba felt comfortable letting her hands get busy again.

Makoto, mature and capable in reality and a stone-cold badass in the Metaverse, lay helpless and gasping as Ann worked sexual magic on her. She kept up a rhythm that Futaba tracked as best she could, but it couldn’t hold against Ryuji’s thrusts behind her. And those thrusts—just to experiment, Futaba slipped a finger inside herself, testing if penetration felt as good as it looked for Ann. It was new, it was strange, but when did the new or strange scare Futaba? The normal was far scarier.

Ann didn’t have space to make noise, but the cries and moans drawn from Ryuji and Makoto kept Futaba’s body shivering as she touched herself. They seemed so at ease, moving with the same trust and semi-psychic flow as a battle, the very same dance that Futaba knew inside and out, just this time with no clothes. The closer she watched, the more the rest of the world seemed to disappear, and a _charge_ built inside of her, tight and starting to border on painful—

“AAH!”

It felt like a snapped rope. In an instant, Futaba’s head flung back and her legs shot out into the sharpest v-straddle her body could handle. Shivers chased through her blood. Nothing made sense and everything felt great and it kept coming and coming and _coming_ … 

And then slower… and slightly slower still… and then her legs couldn’t sustain the v anymore and they drooped back to the floor. She could barely breathe. And her finger was sore.

She laid there and watched as Makoto’s hands snapped to Ann’s ponytails. Her own cries reached a fever-pitch, and after a few seconds of sharp moans and full-body tension, she released Ann and tapped on her head. Ann could barely manage to lift herself, but she moved enough for Makoto to escape and settle, breathing hard as Futaba.

 _And then there were two,_ Futaba’s brain unhelpfully supplied as Ryuji’s hands found a new hold on Ann’s hips and she pulled fistfuls of her bedspread close to her face. “Mmm, oh my god, keep going, please—please—”

“Y-Yeah, won’t stop—ah, f—fuck—kira—”

_...Kira?_

Ann writhed as Ryuji kept up his pace, her own pleas continuing without break. “Yes, god, please, Akira—!”

_Akira?!_

Futaba found the strength to sit up straight as Ann and Ryuji found their own ‘happy ending,” loosening and falling to the mattress beside each other.

Makoto took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. Who wants to shower first?”

“Hold up!” Futaba interjected. “Are we not going to mention that Ryuji and Ann were saying _Akira’s_ name at the end there?!”

“Oh, did we forget to explain that part?” Yusuke said. “We began these reunions due to our shared and unrequited love for our leader.”

“You pretend each other’s Akira while you’re having sex?!”

“We don’t pretend,” Makoto corrected. “It’s just… hard to keep him out of mind when we’re… um…”

“Gettin’ fucked?” Ryuji suggested.

“Do you want to get _smacked_?”

Futaba scanned their faces. Pretty much no one looked as embarrassed about this as they should be. Well, what did it matter? Futaba just learned how to masturbate and would probably be monitoring Sojiro’s time out of the house a lot more closely in the foreseeable future. 

She stood and turned to the door. “Okay. I’m out of here.”

“Wait, Futaba! You have to put your clothes on first!”

* * *

_A girl who has been soiled by thieves…_

Haru had only spent a few days as a formal member of the Phantom Thieves, but they already felt more precious to her than any circle of friends or networked associates she had ever known. As almost an immediate reciprocal sign of trust, they confessed their best-kept secret to her as well: the polyamorous group sex happening behind Akira’s back.

First, Haru thought, _how scary!_ And a few seconds later without any further convincing, she thought, _and thrilling!_

“I need to tell you up-front, because they forgot to tell me,” Futaba said. “These four losers do it to vent frustrations because they’re all in love with Akira, who won’t date them.”

Haru looked from the navigator to her fellow front-line fighters, an accepted sadness on their faces.

“Due to an ongoing investigation to help a friend of mine from school, Akira pretends to be my boyfriend sometimes,” Makoto explained. “When I asked him if he wanted to date anyone for real, he said he wants to focus on the Phantom Thieves. It’s the most straightforward response any of us have received.”

Haru turned back to Futaba. “Are you in love with him as well?”

“No!” She blustered immediately. “He’s just my key item!”

Haru had no idea what that meant, but she smiled and nodded anyway. “I see. It honestly sounds like a dream, to share so much love together. Are you sure it would be alright for me to join, even if I’m not pining for Akira-kun?”

“Ain’t no pressure to join either way,” Ryuji said. “We’d love to have you, you’re super cute and all, but there’s a lot going on in your life right now.”

Ann pushed Ryuji’s shoulder. “It’s up to you, but we were thinking, since you really hate your fiancé, maybe… you could enjoy yourself with us first!”

_We don’t need a girl who’s been soiled by thieves._

If that was how her father thought… she’d show _him_ ‘soiled.’

When Futaba confirmed that Akira had gone to play shogi in Kanda and wouldn’t be needing them that night, they gathered at Ann’s. She laid out snacks and sweets and brewed tea while she joked that if her parents came home in the next few days, they would look in the trash and think she had twelve boyfriends.

“Or, maybe one boyfriend that I see every single night,” Ann corrected herself.

“Maybe someday that will be true,” Haru encouraged.

Ann smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

They gathered one at a time, unwound together, and all the while, Haru could feel their eyes on her. Glances, lingering looks, secret smiles. They wanted her. And the desire wasn’t just for her body, but for her heart and her happiness too. She wasn’t a plaything. She was a person, and they wanted her to enjoy herself.

“So, when do we want to get this party started?” Ryuji asked. “Cuz I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been ready since I got here.”

“Gross!” Futaba declared, but the rest of the group laughed about it. 

Haru giggled too, then sat up straight and proper as she could and extended her hand to Ryuji. “Ready, you say?”

Ryuji blinked at her, but he caught on quick. He reached out, took her hand, and pressed a kiss against it.

“Looks kind of dorky when you do it,” Ann said.

“Shuddup! I’m doing my best, okay?!”

“Allow me,” Makoto scooted a little closer and took Haru’s other hand. “I am honored to make the acquaintance of the legendary Beauty Thief.”

“A pleasure!” Haru chirped back.

“Greetings before we proceed to the bacchanalia?” Yusuke checked. “Then, the aim is to be gracious and beautiful all at once!”

He left his seat to kneel before Haru, taking her hand and cradling it first before brushing his lips against her knuckles. “I shall relish this chance to be by your side, Beauty Thief.”

“You all are so good at this,” Haru said, a little breathless.

Ann winked. “Some of us have been practicing since May.”

They moved from Ann’s living room to her bedroom, where Haru took a prime position on the bed, flanked by Ann and Yusuke. Futaba seemed to have a favorite chair that she settled into, shimmying out of her shorts and stockings.

“Wait, keep your shirt on?” Makoto directed Ryuji for a second. He froze while she placed her hands on his shoulders and traced the collar. “Not much space to work with.”

“My Skull outfit would cover it,” Ryuji suggested.

“You want to explain your hickeys to Akira? And make him think you’re spoken for?”

Ryuji groaned. “No, ma’am.”

Futaba snickered while she stretched and settled into prime reclining position. “That’s our Queen!”

Haru had several questions, but she didn’t get a chance to ask them as Ann leaned close for a kiss. She’d been kissed before, but it had been a crass dare just before her middle school graduation, and it hadn’t been a girl. Haru had always wanted to kiss a girl, since girls were always so beautiful. Ann made that dream come true with a passion that made her shiver.

After a few moments, Yusuke moved closer and all but stole Haru from Ann. As Haru tasted his lips, she amended, _kissing beautiful boys is nice too._

With Futaba as a non-participant, the Thieves formed a _ménage à cinq_ , always leaving one person without a kissing partner. One could kiss Haru, and two could kiss each other, while one always remained ready to steal Haru away from her current lover. The sense of power for being so desired left Haru a little light-headed. After Makoto finished leaving Ryuji a ring of love-bites just beneath where his tee’s collar would lay, she left him to lay beside Haru. When Makoto leaned in, Haru lifted a finger and pressed it against her lips. Makoto’s ruby-dark eyes went wide.

“Sorry,” Haru giggled to her. “I’ve just always wanted to do that!”

And then Makoto smiled, and kissed Haru like a prayer.

_This isn’t soiling at all. This feels incredible._

From the corner, Futaba suggested, “Remember to take your socks off.”

Makoto took initiative for that, and Ryuji charged forward to claim her mouth. Haru squeaked at first, unsure what to do with a wild approach like his, but somehow Ryuji kept all his energy just on the right side of pleasurable. Ann had made a comment that this arrangement had been in existence since May… so had Ryuji been practicing kissing for that long? No wonder she felt like she was dancing in a typhoon.

“Haru, do you like your boobs played with?” Futaba chimed in again.

Ryuji released her so she could gasp for air. “I—I have no idea!”

“Yusuke up, Makoto on deck! Time to find out!”

Haru sat up a little straighter while eight hands worked together to strip her of her shirt, and a moment later, her bra. Now all these people, only more than acquaintances because of their shared battle against her father, could see her body. She shrank in on herself a little, not scared enough to quit but a little more nervous.

Ann settled in behind her and brushed a gentle kiss against her neck. “You’re doing great, Haru.”

She took a deep breath and swallowed as Yusuke’s fingers traced the swell of her breasts. Her skin prickled instantly with how cold his hands felt, but he moved slowly enough to let her acclimate. Of course an artist would handle her like a masterpiece.

“Shit, this is hot,” Ryuji mumbled, stripping out of his pants.

“You wear a lot of turtleneck shirts, right?” Ann asked. “Can I leave marks?”

 _Marks._ If anyone in her household saw, there’d be hell to pay. “P-Please!”

“A little pressure goes further than you think,” Makoto cautioned.

“Got it!” Haru felt Ann smile against her neck before her teeth pinched her skin. She gasped in spite of herself.

“Ann, you’re interfering with my work. I can't gague her responses,” Yusuke complained as his fingers mapped more of Haru’s tits. When he traced the pebble of her nipples, the shiver twisted her spine in Ann’s embrace.

“It’s an art, not a science! You of all people should know that!” Futaba scolded him. “Now share with Makoto!” 

Bullied, Yusuke shifted to Haru’s side and made space for Makoto to lean up. Her hands felt warmer, and more confident. After just a few strokes, she felt bold enough to pinch Haru’s nipple, and Haru’s voice cracked.

“Ooh, Haru’s noises are cute,” Futaba noted. Haru caught a grin on the other girl’s face while she started to trace the subtle curves of her own body.

Already, Haru had so many questions. In spite of the joy her own body felt, she wanted to know why any of them were so eager to have sex with her when they were all in love with the same boy. And why did any of them willingly kiss girls if they wanted to pretend they were kissing Akira? And they seemed dead-set against admitting they loved each other just like they loved Akira, no matter how many times they slept with each other.

Haru asked exactly none of these questions, because Ann found a spot on her neck that spun her thoughts into puffy cotton candy. Because Yusuke started copying Makoto’s technique, but with a tantalizing delicacy that made her want to scream. Because Makoto leaned down and lapped at her breast. Because Ryuji’s hands dodged around everyone else to help Haru’s skirt down her hips.

And everything felt _wonderful_. Haru had been told again and again that the pleasures of this kind of improper behavior would never match up to the pains of lost status and honor. She couldn’t associate with people like this. She couldn’t break the rules. She couldn’t get dirty. But the most beautiful things in the world came from the dirt: the blooming flowers, hearty food, and healthy sweat of working because you believe in what you’re making.

Her new friends couldn't soil her. She was already soiled to her core.

“I got an idea,” Futaba piped up. “Cunnilingus contest! Who can make Haru cum fastest from just tongue?”

“H-Huh?!” Haru is having a hard time keeping track of _anything_ , but she can do enough basic math to know exactly how eaten-out she’ll be at the end of that challenge.

“You okay with that, Haru?” Ryuji asked, knelt before her with her skirt in his hands.

And in spite of her apprehension, Haru knew she wanted it. “Yes! I am! Please!”

“Dibs!” Ryuji called, which no one challenged him on since he was basically closest.

Ann won the cunnilingus contest, hands down. And Ryuji redeemed himself by holding Haru in a tight embrace and pushing her to a deep and satisfying climax. And Makoto wrung another one out of her with her clever, capable hands. And Yusuke nipped and bit and sucked around Haru’s breasts, pain tempered with just enough pleasure that she didn’t dare stop him. When Haru next saw a mirror, she’d realize that Yusuke had marked her in the pattern of a blooming rose, with dark bruises at the center and pale blemishes near her sides and sternum.

She lost count of her orgasms by the end there. Futaba kept track and reported: six.

And Haru had to ask herself two more questions.

One, she still couldn’t understand how this group of loving friends remained hung up on Akira Kurusu when they had such overflowing passion for each other.

Two, how special was Akira Kurusu that all his friends stayed in love with him no matter how much love they made to each other?

* * *

Building trust with people that you intend to betray was an art form. Akechi had a pretty good handle on it after so long spent working for Shido, but he had yet to infiltrate a group as close-knit as the Phantom Thieves.

They opened naturally to him on some topics: small talk in the Monavan, stories of past battles, potential strategies for the future. But some things, they never seemed to invite him, to special meetings in particular. Akechi had to assume they had ways of talking to each other about him, but with his leverage against the group, they would have to be very careful if they wanted to strike against him.

He had one strategy against these secret meetings: monopolizing Akira’s time. With their leader occupied, meetings would operate less efficiently, and Akechi would be able to sway the most important member of the team toward viewing him as a trustworthy addition who wanted nothing more than true justice. That may be for the best too; the other Thieves sounded almost relieved on occasion when Akira told the group that he and Akechi had made plans, freeing the rest to do whatever they wanted. Perhaps the team already trusted Akechi more than he thought?

“Would you consider working as a barista full-time in the future?” Akechi asked Akira, busy and looking entirely at home behind Leblanc’s counter.

“Maybe,” Akira said, a kind of wistful tone in his voice.

“I just wonder what you’ll spend your time doing, since the investigation against the Phantom Thieves will be dropped and your group will disband.”

“My homework, probably.”

“Surely you have ambition in your life beyond homework.”

“You think so?”

“A person doesn’t don the guise of a Phantom Thief and strike against the very foundation of a corrupt society unless he has a life he’s hoping to lead someday.”

“You’re asking what I want out of all of this?”

“Should the grand hero of the masses choose to rest on his laurels, what do those laurels look like?”

Akira didn’t say anything. Akechi could tell the gears of his mind were turning furiously. The door to Leblanc opened, and Akira greeted them, but it was just someone handing out flyers in the neighborhood. Akira trashed it immediately. Akechi kept his eyes on the other boy, expectantly awaiting the answer.

“...I’m not going to stop spending time with my friends,” Akira started. “So you better not consider us meeting up as suspicious activity. They’re my laurels.”

“How would they feel to hear that?”

“I mean it as a compliment, so I hope they’d be happy.”

“The grand prize at the end of the Phantom Thief’s long quest for justice is spending time with his friends?” Akechi checked, keeping all shreds of contempt out of his voice. He had truly expected better of Akira.

“I mean… It’s the most realistic part of what I want out of life.”

That made Akechi raise an eyebrow. “What do you want _unrealistically?_ ”

And Akira paused again. “It’s really not… anyone’s business.”

“Come on. What childish fantasies follow you to the threshold of adulthood?” When Akira turned away to straighten up some of the coffee mugs, Akechi pressed, “You’re aware that you’re speaking to someone who uses beam swords and ray guns as his weapons of rebellion?”

“The fantasies aren’t exactly childish,” Akira said. “Can we leave it at that?”

“My every instinct as a detective says we cannot,” Akechi replied with a smile, relishing both the mystery and the discomfort it brought to Akira’s face. “Based on the evidence presented to me here, your less-than-childish fantasies probably involve one of your teammates, don’t they?”

“Look, talking about this more is going to make things weird with the group.”

“Which of your friends has caught your eye? I can put in a good word for you. Nothing ostentatious, you know full well that I’m capable of subtlety.”

Akira fidgeted with his glasses, and Akechi had to strain to keep the sadistic glee out of his smile. “Perhaps Ann Takamaki? A rising supermodel would make a wonderful girlfriend.”

“Come on, I don’t need a wingman.”

“Not her, then? Could it be Haru Okumura? She’s new to your group, but her personality is quite sweet.”

Akira shuffled behind the counter. When would Akechi next see him so at his mercy? Near the end of November, hopefully. “Your guardian’s genius of a daughter? Or your school’s exemplary class president?”

With a resigned sigh, Akira gave his answer: “All of the above.”

Akechi blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Akira said. “Add Ryuji and Yusuke, and you’ll get the full picture.”

Dear fucking god. Akechi hadn’t expected that at all and yet somehow, it made absolutely perfect sense. Of course Akira lusted after every single one of his friends. It went a long way explaining how he put up with their problems when there was absolutely no reward for himself. Maybe in the past, he had done it to secure their combat loyalty, but as Akechi spent time with the group, he found all of them genuinely self-motivated to battle selfish adults. They’d show up whether Akira showered them in affection or not.

“Someone has been watching too many harem comedies,” Akechi commented. 

“A harem comedy ends with cute misunderstandings and a true pairing emerging victorious. This isn’t the same.” Akira denied.

“I’m doing my best to be open to your perspective here, but it’s difficult to understand how this situation torments you. Surely anyone would love to be in your shoes.”

“I’m in love with six people. Choosing one means I have to fall out of love with the other five. I have to be faithful to the one I choose, so I can’t choose anyone. Even if they chose me.”

“It wouldn’t help for you to romance an outsider to your group, would it?”

“That would add a seventh heart to this mess.”

It struck Akechi as petty and immature to consider oneself _in love_ with six other people while so young, but he couldn’t criticize Akira for that and keep up his facade. “So your current strategy is to ignore your feelings completely and remain friends with them forever?”

“Yep. Then I’m not cheating, and they stay in my life.”

“A perfect solution,” Akechi said. “Except it’s not perfect at all.”

Akira nodded. “I don’t need things to be perfect. I just need them to be better.”

Akechi’s coffee was growing cold, but it still tasted like bitter black gold. Always enlightening and frustrating in equal measures to speak with Akira. Maybe that was why he kept coming back.

The door chimed again as Makoto and Futaba entered. Akechi waved to them and got a nod from Makoto and a peace sign from Futaba.

“Hey,” Akira greeted. “How did the visit to your sister’s office go?”

And Makoto’s face went bright red. “What? Sis? We didn’t—”

“What’s this about visiting Sae-san’s office?” Akechi asked, cutting in.

“I—I mean, we… we couldn’t get access!” Makoto explained. “When I went to the lobby, they wouldn’t let me visit her office!”

Akira nodded with a little frown, and Akechi crossed one ankle across the other. “That’s been consistent with my experience at the courthouse too. Even with my collaboration with the police, Sae-san has to escort me within the prosecutors’ offices. We hold most of our meetings in the lobby cafes for that reason.”

“Right,” Makoto said. “We should have asked you, Akechi, but we don’t want to rely on you too much. You’re already doing so much to help us within the Palace.”

“Please don’t be afraid to ask more of me. I should do my best to assist the team,” Akechi said. “But, why were you looking to access her office?”

“I asked her to check on it,” Akira said. “In case we find any distorted correlation.”

“Exactly,” Makoto agreed, relief flooding her voice.

“I just thought that was happening today,” Akira added, “Since you met up with Haru, Ryuji, and Ann after school.”

Futaba’s arm stretched from her hiding place behind Makoto and waved for Akira’s attention. “Coffee first! Then shop talk!”

Akira smiled and set about brewing up two more cups while his friends took a booth. Akechi glanced at Makoto and Futaba, thinking about their suspicious behavior. Clearly they didn’t trust him, so much so that they were sneaking around to try and uncover evidence to harm Akechi.

 _But there’s nothing to be found… and even if they did find something, I have so much unstructured time with their leader, I’ll have a bullet in his head before the rest of them can make a move._  
  
And if they knew the truth about their leader’s ever-bleeding, nigh-philandering heart, would they even be so inclined to follow him?

He had no idea when spilling such a secret would benefit him, but he’d keep it close to his chest regardless. He just had to focus on making sure he had the leader of the Phantom Thieves right where Akechi needed him when the time came.

* * *

You think you know a guy, until you dissolve into nothingness in the middle of Shibuya Square and wake up in a velvet-lined jail cell which exists between dream and reality, and he’s standing at the barred door, ready to remind you of what you were fighting for.

You think you know a guy, and then you’re standing together on a pillar in the sky, fighting with every ounce of energy you have to free humanity from a God of Control, and you witness him change his own Persona from a familiar thief to a gigantic demon lord.

You think you know a guy, and then you witness him become a hero, and you fall in love with him even more.

You think you know a guy, and then he takes the fall for you.

For all of you.

Everyone keeps it in their pants for two months, because there’s work to do. People to meet, statements to gather, help to enlist.

It’s all going to be worth it to see his face again.

* * *

Akira had been waiting fifty days to walk through the door of Leblanc. Somehow, he didn’t break down sobbing when he saw their faces again: handsome, beautiful, cherished, lovey, each and every one of them. He had given up hope he’d ever see the people he loved again. 

But after the sorrows of remembering Akira’s departure, and the joy of seeing Morgana again, and the fun of sharing food with everyone, Ann brought up a dreaded fact.

“Wait, isn’t tomorrow Valentine’s Day?”

Those six cherished-lovely faces turned to Akira, and his heart stopped. He’d had nightmares about this moment, this moment he had to tell them all about his own traitorous heart, how he’d leave so many of them disappointed. What should he say? Something to let them know he wasn’t available. Quality time with Morgana? Touring the city to meet his other confidants?

“Boss will probably need my help,” he decided. “All day. So, I can’t make plans.”

“What about all night?” Ryuji blurted.

“ _Ryuji,_ ” Makoto scolded. “That’s not the right way to go about this.”

“Since when did we do anything the right way?” Futaba said.

“I think the best place to start would be confessions, wouldn’t it?” Haru suggested. “Just so that we understand the situation clearly.”

“I should go first,” Akira interrupted. This would hurt like an amputation, but at least he could do it in one cut and spare everyone the pain of six hacks to the bone.

Morgana flicked his tail, but hopped down from the bar stool and headed for the door. “This conversation seems more human than I qualify for at the moment. I’ll just follow Boss home and see everyone tomorrow.”

The chime of Leblanc’s bell sounded like a death knell now. Akira took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for not being honest,” he started. “I used the Phantom Thieves as an excuse to not face reality. You guys aren’t subtle.”

“You found out?” Ann gasped. “How?!”

Akira blinked. “You dropped some pretty big hints about how you felt. I don’t want to sound self-centered, but you guys were clear about that part.”

“Oh.” Ann sat back. “Right. That part.”

“So what is the reality you have avoided?” Yusuke asked.

Akira swallowed hard. Why was this harder than shooting God in the face? “The true reason I didn’t reciprocate was because I don’t think I can be… faithful.”

“What do you mean by faithful?” Futaba asked, with that kind of genius-scorn that she applied to everyday norms that she felt herself above, like shopping at retail stores or keeping her viruses out of civic data systems.

“I wanted to say yes,” Akira finally blurted out. “To all of you. But if I got in a relationship with one of you, I’d be thinking of the others, and I couldn’t stand to do that to—”

“Holy shit, dude!” Ryuji cut through Akira’s speech. “Holy shit! I can’t believe this! I just—I can’t believe it!”

Akira tensed, expecting Ryuji to start yelling at him for his deceitful nature, but his friend just started to laugh. _Laugh._

“Wait, we have to get this right,” Makoto jumped in. “Are you saying that you refused us _because_ you want to date all of us, and can’t choose?”

Akira nodded. Leave it to Makoto to understand the situation and to understand how wrong it was—

He expected her to scowl, but a smile settled on her face. “Of all the lucky breaks we’ve had as Phantom Thieves. This is easily the best one.”

“In a way, it feels like we’ve practiced for such a situation!” Haru agreed with a cheerful clap of her hands. “This is wonderful!”

 _Wonderful!?_ In the background, Ryuji’s hysterics raged on, and Akira felt more lost than the moment he first stepped in the Metaverse. “What is happening,” he begged.

“Oh my god, this is so funny,” Ann started. “So way back in May, right when we were hitting our groove in Madarame’s Palace—”

Akira wanted to listen to Ann, he really did, but Yusuke crossed the cafe from his half-perch near the siphons to Akira’s side. His fingers touched Akira’s jaw, tilted his chin up, and then he leaned down to kiss Akira. He froze with shock, but then Yusuke’s fingertips trailed to the back of his neck, and the caress of his lips made Akira gasp, and now—now Yusuke’s tongue slipped into his mouth—

“No fair!” Futaba cried. “We said we’d draw straws for that!”

Her voice cut through the lovely haze settling in Akira’s head. He pulled back. “Wait, straws—?”

But sitting beside him, Ann sighed and said, “Well, since Yusuke started it!” And now _Ann_ reached for him, caught his lips with hers, and kissed, and he could taste her lip gloss, kind of cherry, but also kind of glitter? How did Ann taste like glitter?!

And why did she kiss him _right after Yusuke?!_

Dread flooded in, so Akira pushed on Ann’s shoulder to disengage. He had to make sure this didn’t destroy any friendships. “Okay, I need to explain—”

“No, dude,” Ryuji finally pulled himself together. “ _We_ need to explain.”

“And we should stop kissing him until the matter is resolved,” Makoto decided, with little scowls at Ann and Yusuke. “We’ve waited too long to go about this haphazardly.”

Ann scooted closer to the wall and beckoned Akira to follow, giving Yusuke space to join them in the booth. Haru and Ryuji pulled bar stools closer. Akira’s heart thudded in his chest, because he had a feeling if they weren’t in Leblanc with tables and chairs between, they’d be hugging him. He wished they were hugging him.

“Over the last year, all of us gradually realized our feelings for you,” Makoto began with the explanation. “And if we understand correctly, you reciprocate all of our feelings.”

Hearing it again, Akira’s throat went dry, so he just nodded.

“I completely understand that you would worry about jealousy and infidelity if you tried to choose just one person to form a relationship with. But there’s something that we… kept secret from you as well.”

“Back in late May, close to when Yusuke joined us, Ryuji and I kind of realized something at the same time,” Ann picked up where she left off before Yusuke interrupted. “We… liked you a lot. A _lot_ lot.”

“We tried lettin’ you know, but you brushed us off. We got the gist later that you had sworn off dating so you could lead the Phantom Thieves better,” Ryuji added. “And it was frustratin’, and tough to deal with how we were feelin’, so we—”

“If you say ‘banged it out,’ I am going to smack you!”

“I wasn’t gonna! Give me a little credit once in a while!”

Akira stared dumbly between the two as Ann sighed and got the story back on track. “That’s the gist of it at least. We were frustrated, and we wanted to cope, and it made it easier to know I wasn’t alone, and it felt good—”

Ryuji smiled his time-to-chase-some-hot-girls grin, and Futaba groaned. “Ann, if you call Ryuji good at sex, I’m going to puke. He fucks like he’s doing a Megaton Raid.”

“That doesn’t have to be a bad thing! His enthusiasm is quite enjoyable,” Haru spoke up.

“What,” Akira said flatly, because the pieces coming together threatened to overload him: things like _Ann and Ryuji fucked_ and _Haru and Ryuji fucked_ and _Futaba has seen Ryuji fuck Ann and Haru_. And also _Yusuke and Ann kissed him,_ he couldn’t forget that part. He’d never forget that part.

“Long story short, we all started using the same strategy to cope,” Makoto finished. “We joined in the same order that became Phantom Thieves, though Futaba and Haru had initially just wanted to participate for their own reasons.”

“Futaba-chan and I came to realize our own feelings in time,” Haru added with a smile.

 _All my friends have had sex._ Akira struggled to process the information. _All of my friends have had sex with each other. All my friends had sex with each other… because they wanted me._

He should say something. He really should say something. He had to shove aside the tangle of steamy fantasies that bubbled up and say something.

“I’m a virgin.”

_...NOT THAT._

“How does a virgin have a search history like yours?!” Futaba exclaimed. “That shouldn’t be possible!”

Makoto sighed. “We have to talk about internet privacy again, don’t we?”

“Hold up, I’m with Futaba, _how?_ ” Ann pressed. “You wander into Tokyo, and just by being yourself, you get six of your friends to fall in love with you, and that’s _new_ to you?! I thought you were dripping with lovers where you came from!”

“This is absolutely preposterous that we are the first people to fall for your charms,” Yusuke agreed.

How they found him _charming_ when his tongue wanted to fall out of his mouth, Akira had no clue. He couldn’t explain how his hometown didn’t have people as kind, as strong, as smart, or as beautiful as his friends. He couldn’t explain how he used to keep his head down until the one moment he couldn’t anymore, and with his head high, he grew from a boy abused by fate to the one who saved the world. He couldn’t find the words to tell them that this exact six-on-one fantasy had been the impossible dream that kept his sanity intact in prison.

Instead of any of that, he said, “I was a dweeb.” When everyone just stared at him, he rambled, “I’m still a dweeb. I don’t know what happened.”

Ryuji shook his head. “You turned into a sex god while you weren’t looking. Unbelievable.”

“I’m _not_ a sex god,” Akira insisted. “I spent the last year learning to fish and read dense literature and make smoke bombs and eat giant burgers and steal treasures. _You guys_ turned into sex gods while I wasn’t looking.”

That declaration passed through his friends and left surprise in its wake. As dense as Akira felt to completely miss that they had all been ‘connecting’ behind his back, he felt a little vindicated to see how every last one of them had forgotten that having lots of sex tended to make a person sexually experienced.

“I mean, Ann’s mouth is pretty godly,” Ryuji broke the silence.

“Shut up!” Ann cried, her cheeks going deeply pink.

“It’s just facts,” Futaba told her. “Ann gives the best oral.”

Instantly, Akira knew his pep talk had backfired. With a sensation like a crashing wave against his body, his blood drained to his dick.

“I mean, what was I supposed to do?!” Ann protested. “The rest of you are stronger than me! I had to do something to keep up!”

“I hardly consider strength the most important attribute during sex, though it does serve Ryuji extremely well,” Yusuke assessed. Another _slam_.

“Aw yeah, you’re more about all the sensitive stuff!” Ryuji said.

“Fundamentals and technique to create stylish maneuvers.”

“Yeah, that. Feels effin’ wild, man.”

And a third _slam_. 

“Mako-chan is _very_ good with her teeth,” Haru offered with a small smile.

Nods and hums of agreement passed around the table while Makoto flushed. “I don’t mean to do it so much! You just have the tallest collars, so it’s easy…”

A fourth _slam._ Akira couldn't pull in breath, but the lack didn't bother him.

“And it’s not like we can really tell you no, Haru,” Ann added. “You do this thing with your voice, all sweet and soft but with no wiggle-room to disagree. You don’t even have to use how strong you are!”

“I’ve been trying to get Haru to body-slam someone for weeks,” Futaba complained.

And just there, the fifth slam. If he drowned here, he'd die happy.

“Give the wrestling kink a rest, Futaba, we follow your instructions the rest of the time,” Ryuji countered.

Makoto apparently noticed Akira’s stare and took enough pity on him to explain something. “Futaba hasn’t directly participated yet, but she usually watches and gives advice.”

“Our sexual Oracle,” Ann said, reaching across the table to poke Futaba.

“After all this time, why did you not join?” Yusuke asked her.

Futaba tucked her face into her knees. “I mean, first I was scared, but… then I wanted Akira to be my first… but everyone else was still so hot and fun to watch...”

The sixth slam made Akira choke, which scared Futaba enough that she raised her head. “No, don’t worry though! I am a max level master of my body! It’ll be a breeze for you!”

And that did it. He slammed his hands on the table and demanded with the most Joker-ly voice he could muster while teetering on the cusp of ‘too aroused to think.’

“ _Why are you all talking instead of fucking me?!_ ”

That got everyone’s attention. But that’s when he lost track of the fine details. He just remembers the sensation of a tsunami crashing into him and loving every second of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over a month ago, but I am a NaNoWriMo winner at 67,000 words - and my story isn't done. I'm posting this as a congratulations to myself, hopefully someone enjoys it... Because I have about 2 more weeks of 2,000 words per day ahead of me...
> 
> ^_^ But most importantly! Thanks for reading!!!
> 
> UPDATE: I’m really glad people are enjoying this fic, but I respectfully request that no one else ask for a sequel. Between my other writing projects and the fact there’s nowhere left for this story to go, my chances of writing a follow-up are VERY low, and they don’t get higher when people ask for more. Thank you for reading. <3


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